Science and technology have come together over the past century to create advancements that were unfathomable a short time ago. From the invention of the compound microscope, using two sets of lenses to magnify the smallest life forms, to the moon landing. Now, we’ve come all the way to human Uber?
Not technically called “human Uber” for legal reasons, the Japan-based technology forays into uncharted territory. The goal is to allow a human surrogate to live your life for you. Similar to the way you can control a character in video games like the SIMS, except much more real. An actual human being would be fitted with a screen that displays your face, while they live out your life under your guidance.
You can be at home hanging out on the couch, guiding your screen fitted surrogate through your daily life and activities. They wear a helmet with a screen that displays your face, they wear your clothing, you see what they see through cameras, hear what they hear, and you communicate your wishes and desired actions to them and they act them out in your stead. If you’re baffled and counting the number of ways this could go wrong, we’re right there with you.
New employees risk being injured three times higher than others, but what happens if you’re using this technology to “work from home”? If a surrogate can live your life, Is work a part of that? What about medical appointments, legal cases, and the like? The website is unclear on the full extent to which this technological surrogacy could be employed, but it seems eerily boundless.
The technology isn’t anything new, a similar concept has already been in use, but using human surrogates is entirely new.
“This design is based on our hypothesis assuming physical and social telepresence can be embodied by such a surrogate human who imitates the remote user. It also eliminates many difficulties of teleoperated robots wandering in the environment,” notes the website for the technology.
Ever wanted someone else to live your life in your place so you don’t have to move? We call that Monday. And this technology will allow it. The implications of having such an option are yet to be determined. It leads one to wonder how users might actually apply their use of remote-controlled human surrogacy. There’s quite the difference between having a surrogate go to a coffee shop versus, say, go to court.
It also begs the question of surrogate rights. To what point are there limitations to the wishes of the controller on the controlled? There’s a whole We have a feeling that we’ll be hearing more about this as the technology develops further.
In the meantime, you still have to be yourself and go about your life as you, in body and mind.
